Medicaid debate leaves out bigger picture

Thursday

May 2, 2013 at 12:01 AMMay 2, 2013 at 9:22 AM

I respond to Tuesday's "Other viewpoints" editorial "Ohioans support larger Medicaid" by the Akron Beacon Journal, which cleverly left out the part "but can't afford it." No one would argue that we shouldn't do what we can to help the poor, but likewise, no sane person can assume that our resources are unlimited.

I respond to Tuesday’s “Other viewpoints” editorial “Ohioans support larger Medicaid” by the Akron Beacon Journal, which cleverly left out the part “but can't afford it.”

No one would argue that we shouldn't do what we can to help the poor, but likewise, no sane person can assume that our resources are unlimited. By almost everyone's account, the current Medicaid program is projected to run out of money.

Common sense says that further expansion of the current program would be disastrous.

But instead of addressing the root problems with Medicaid, we are having a silly debate about whether it is better to expand it using federal or state tax dollars. Unbelievable.